PARAMOUNT : School Board Names 1st Latina as Superintendent
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The Paramount Unified school board has named Michele Barraza Lawrence as its first woman and first Latina superintendent.
The deputy superintendent at ABC Unified, Lawrence, 44, has worked as a high school art teacher, community college instructor, assistant principal and principal, first at Norwalk High and then at Whittier High.
Board members unanimously approved a two-year contract for $96,480 a year at a special meeting Wednesday. On July 1, she will replace longtime Supt. Richard Caldwell, whose contract was not renewed.
“I feel very honored,” Lawrence said Thursday. “It’s something that I have worked for most of my career, and I feel fortunate that Paramount saw my experiences fit their needs.”
Paramount Unified is a growing district of 13,500 students. Lawrence’s immediate challenges are likely to include a proposal for year-round schools and negotiating a teachers contract.
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